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Acid attack on two girls in Warangal

Shocking incident: K. Swapnika, who was injured in an acid attack, being shifted to MGM Hospital in Warangal on Wednesday.

Staff Reporter

Role of ‘jilted lover’ suspected; one girl to be shifted to NIMS

WARANGAL: In a ghastly incident, two girl students of KITS engineering college were attacked with acid by motorcycle-borne miscreants when they were returning home on a scooter here on Wednesday. K. Swapnika was badly injured while her friend T. Praneetha (21) sustained severe burns.

Police are searching for Srinivas, a neighbour of Swapnika, and for possible accomplices. They have constituted three special teams to nab Srinivas, who was arrested sometime ago following a complaint that he was harassing the girl.

Ms. Swapnika was battling for life at the MGM Hospital as she sustained 40 per cent burns on her shoulders while her right eye was badly damaged. Doctors reportedly advised the parents to shift her to Hyderabad for advanced treatment. Meanwhile, Praneetha, who was driving the two-wheeler, escaped with relatively less injuries as she was wearing a helmet. She was admitted to a private hospital.

K. Devender Rao, father of Swapnika, alleged that the police failed to take sufficient action against Srinivas although he had lodged a complaint at the Subedari police station. An ex-servicemen residing in Bhavani Nagar, Mr. Rao said Srinivas (32), a realtor, had been harassing his daughter for long, seeking her love. When he warned him to desist from such harassment, Srinivas burnt his two-wheeler one night to intimidate his family.

Mr. Devender said the police registered a case against the accused, who was, however, released after being arrested. “I suspect him to be responsible for the attack, I have no suspicion on any other person,” he told a battery of media men who surrounded him at the MGM Hospital.

Warangal range DIG K. Lakshman Mohan and Superintendent of Police V. C. Sajjanar visited the girls at both the hospital.

Mr. Sajjanar said Swapnika was being shifted to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad. “We had earlier arrested Srinivas and remanded him without any delay, but he was released on bail. For a while, he stopped harassing the girl. This time, he acted in revenge by throwing acid on the girl. We will arrest him at the earliest,” the SP said.

YSR orders action

Hyderabad Special Correspondent adds: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has expressed shock at the attack. Dr. Reddy, who returned from New Delhi on Wednesday evening, spoke to the Warangal Collector and enquired about the incident. He said that the government bear the cost of treatment for the injured students. He directed the police to take stern action against the accused, said a press note issued from the Chief Minister’s office.